All posts tagged Paris

There are certain rituals associated with the purchase and service of wine in a restaurant.

One procedure is practically sacrosanct: the sommelier opens the bottle and offers the person who ordered it a taste. Until I was in Paris last month, I’ve never seen a sommelier deviate from this practice, save for a few times when I’ve ordered the bottle and the sommelier has given it to my husband to taste. (But sexist sommeliers aren’t the topic of this post. )

Laura Vidal, the wine director of Frenchies restaurant and Bar et Vins in Paris does things a bit differently, and as far as I’m concerned, terrifically. She opens the bottle of wine for the host but pours everyone at the table a taste. What a great idea – and so very democratic, I said. But I wondered if anyone ever protested? Never, Laura said, and sometimes women actually said, “Ah, finally equality!”

I was in Paris for a few days last month and visited a few terrific restaurants and wine shops, many of which were the work of expat Americans. Or expat Canadians, as in the case of Frenchies’ wine director, Laura Vidal. Actually, Ms Vidal holds both Canadian and French passports, one of the facts about her I learned over our lunch at Fines Gueles.

Ms. Vidal had suggested the restaurant and it seemed promising: a short walk from the Louvre, a talented chef who trained with an icon, Pierre Gagnaire, and a well-chosen wine list. But, said Ms. Vidal, that wasn’t all. “Arnaud Bradol has an incredible cellar,” she said of Fines Gueles’ owner. It’s a phrase I’ve heard hundreds of times, but in this case it was a huge understatement.

If on the Right Bank, I inevitably drop by Les Caves Augé, on the Boulevard Haussmann. They have some great older vintages from Burgundy and the Rhone, as well as some small producers who are very hard to find, like Dard et Ribo.

When I’m on the Left Bank, as I am on this visit, I weave with determination and rising anticipation through the narrow streets of the Sixth to La dernière Goutte, a tiny shop on Rue Bourbon le Chateau just off the Rue de Seine.

About On Wine

The Wall Street Journal’s On Wine blog provides incisive criticism and accessible advice, both professional and personal, on the world of wine. Jay McInerney (left), Lettie Teague (center) and Will Lyons (right) are the lead writers. Ms. Teague and Mr. McInerney write the On Wine column Saturdays in Weekend Journal. Mr. Lyons writes a weekly wine column for the European edition of the Wall Street Journal.